Weeping under This Same Moon
- 2008 INDIES Winner
- Gold, Young Adult Fiction (Children's)
After the fall of Saigon, nineteen-year-old Mei Phuong escapes Vietnam on an overloaded boat with her younger brother and sister in tow, destination unknown. Conditions onboard deteriorate until Mei sees a woman prepare to leap to her death: “We watch her as if we are watching a play, no one moves to stop her, no one really believing she will do what she obviously is about to do.” Weeping Under This Same Moon by Jana Laiz (Crow Flies Press, 978-0-9814910-0-4) contrasts Mei’s uncertain life with that of Hannah, a privileged but unhappy teen from Westchester, New York, who blossoms as a volunteer helping Vietnamese newcomers in the Bronx. Han-nah’s affection for photography parallels Mei’s passion for painting, but art is a luxury and refugees deny themselves nones-sentials.
Reviewed by
Todd Mercer
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
